For enthusiasts of “Demon Slayer,” or those who enjoyed the initial game inspired by the acclaimed anime series released some years back, the sequel titled “Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles 2” is a straightforward recommendation. If you appreciated the original title, then this game is essentially an enhancement, offering more of what you loved before, but with enhancements.
In The Hinokami Chronicles 2, the developers CyberConnect2 are sticking with the same blueprint and structure they used for the first game. While the original game followed the narrative of the source anime and manga series up to the Mugen Train arc, this sequel carries on the story from there, encompassing the Entertainment District and extending it all the way through to the conclusion of the Hashira Training arc.
In The Hinokami Chronicles 2, they’ve done an excellent job adapting the storylines, making it accessible to both fans and newcomers, regardless of prior knowledge about the original anime or manga series.
The primary reason for this game’s creation is that new story, which largely preserves the successful formula of the original title while making some adjustments to mechanics and quality-of-life enhancements. If you appreciate the Demon Slayer narrative, you’ll find this adaptation quite appealing. It’s worth emphasizing that what sets these Demon Slayer games apart from other anime-based arena fighters is the attention to detail in crafting a standalone product that holds up under close examination, even without prior knowledge of the source material.
Players who haven’t delved into the manga or watched the Demon Slayer anime can still immerse themselves quite effectively in the world’s essence, characters, tensions, plotlines, and storytelling, merely by engaging with the game’s story modes – a testament that is not commonly found among other games based on similar anime adaptations.
In the same vein as its predecessor, this new game maintains the trend of excellence. Titled The Hinokami Chronicles 2, it does a fantastic job adapting the stories it encompasses, making it accessible for individuals unfamiliar with the anime or manga. The narrative is so well-crafted that even younger gamers, who make up a significant portion of the Demon Slayer fandom, can easily engage with the storyline.
In this case, there are compromises to be made. While it’s true that both the anime and the manga surpass it in terms of visual and literary quality, The Hinokami Chronicles 2 makes up for it by immersing its players directly into the world it presents. This is something neither the anime nor the manga can offer.
The story’s sections invite you to traverse expansive, explorable spaces filled with various treasures to discover.
As a dedicated gamer diving deep into the anime universe, I gotta say, the Demon Slayer games stand out among their peers. The IP’s world and lore are nothing short of captivating, intricate, and layered – a testament to the brilliance of the Demon Slayer creators. Instead of relying on this treasure trove as a crutch to compensate for storytelling or world-building deficiencies, The Hinokami Chronicles 2 smartly uses it to heighten the engagement.
In the story mode, you tag along with our hero Tanjiro, joined by his companions Zenitsu and Inosuke, journeying through three arcs of the Demon Slayer saga. This game provides ample opportunity to immerse yourself fully in this mesmerizing world, allowing players to truly savor every detail.
Chapter narratives often lead you to traverse expansive areas filled with various collectibles. These include items common in combat games like character customizations and profile upgrades for the versus modes. However, they offer much more than that: you can discover books, relics, and other world artifacts that provide players with additional information about the game’s universe, its characters, or significant events. Some of these finds might even trigger a memory from the characters, typically recapping a past event from the anime (using footage from the anime, which is where the difference in visual quality between the game and the anime is most noticeable), or simply consist of casual conversations among the characters.
Regardless of which one it is, it contributes significantly to developing the personalities, occurrences, and characters, making everything appear authentic and substantial, unlike many anime adaptations that often rely too heavily on hints and sudden references from the original material instead of genuinely investing effort in depicting their stories and worlds.
In terms of modifications, the combat section of the game remains largely untouched. Given that the initial game nailed most aspects of combat, it’s logical for this part to remain unaltered.
In “The Hinokami Chronicles 2,” a fresh feature is the incorporation of side missions. These side quests harmoniously blend with the revamped design for the story mode maps, which are no longer simple, predictable, and often monotonous linear paths. Instead, they’ve transformed into expansive yet compact areas that foster exploration. The challenge in these side quests lies in discovering them initially and locating their objectives on the map, activities that would have been tedious if the game had maintained the extremely linear map structure of its predecessor. These additional missions help to expand the game’s world and its characters, and they also introduce some exclusive materials that are not directly linked to either the anime or manga sources.
The aspect of the game that has undergone the least transformation is its combat system, which seems logical considering the initial game nailed it quite well from the start. In terms of its controls, they remain as intuitive as ever – your basic attack is assigned to a single key, and special moves are allocated to another. These special moves can be customized by pressing down a direction on the joystick or holding the defense button.
As you progress, you accumulate and employ powerful Ultimate moves, and you can also substitute another fighting partner (this is a 2v2 tag arena game). A notable novelty in this game is the incorporation of tag team Ultimate attacks, serving as motivation to control characters who share a narrative connection. Additionally, the game has undergone significant adjustments to its control layout, aiming to eliminate instances where you might unintentionally activate a special attack while attempting to dodge an incoming move.
The game offers numerous options for engaging in thrilling battles that are tailored to your preference. You can challenge opponents in Versus mode (either solo against AI, locally against another player, or online), practice your skills in Training mode, revisit the narrative of the first game in a condensed form with some combat sequences included, and face off against enemies in both storyline battles and horde-style fights interspersed throughout the campaign. The core of the game lies in its combat, which is well-executed and accessible across various formats and modes. While there are still elements of roughness and imbalance typical of 3D arena fighting, this version presents a refined interpretation of the formula.
“The battles are great, and the game gives you a lot of ways to fight them at your behest.”
When discussing the game, it’s worth noting that its style is reminiscent of an anime, a fact that sets it apart in terms of storytelling and visual aesthetics. This isn’t a negative observation, as anime has grown significantly in popularity. However, certain aspects of the game, such as the voice acting, can be quite intense with a lot of shouting, grunting, and exaggerated expressions, which might not appeal to everyone. For instance, some may find the English voice-over less convincing, although it may be appreciated by younger fans who prefer this option. Furthermore, extended scenes featuring multiple characters engaging in heated arguments or battles could potentially prove exhausting for some players. This level of intensity is characteristic of shonen battle anime storytelling.
Disregarding any reservations that may apply to the source material itself, it’s difficult not to suggest “Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles 2” to enthusiasts of the original content or shonen anime in general. This game is an exceptional adaptation of some of the finest content from both the anime and manga, and it’s equally enjoyable for fans seeking to revisit those memorable moments as it is for newcomers who will be introduced to the world of “Demon Slayer” through this game.
Despite some drawbacks, such as graphics that seem less impressive than the original anime, and voice acting that’s not top-notch, overall, it’s an excellent follow-up to the fantastic initial game release for this franchise a few years back. If you are a lover of the Demon Slayer series or battle anime in general, I recommend giving it a look.
This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.
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2025-08-13 20:53